You'd expect to find this North Laine pub busy and vibrant most nights of the week, just not with beer aficionados
The Green Dragon Brighton
Nestling in the North Laine and offering Pies and Pints a plenty
The large windows on the front of the pub have beckoned in many a weary shopper or bar hopper from this iconic North Laine street. A very comfortable leather bench seats run the width of the pub in this window section as well as along another of the walls opposite the bar. The rest of the space is filled with a combination of low tables and chairs and high seating set against little bar partitions or free standing tall islands.
While it feels quite busy with furniture here, there’s still plenty of floor space and it all feels very flexible, allowing for groups to push tables together for larger parties.
Out the back there’s also a back garden which looks as thought it’s had a recent and much-needed paint and refresh. It now looks like a pretty pleasant place to hang out, whether on the raised decking section or under the leafy pergola.
Fans of The Office will be pleased to know that The Green Dragon Brighton (it’s original name from decades past) has retained it’s predecessor’s sense of fun. On our Thursday evening visit there was a variety of electro pop being pumped out at the perfect volume, loud enough to raise the level of conversations and inject some energy without being oppressive. Posters scream encouraging slogans such as 241 cocktails ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, 10% student deals, 2 bombs for £5 alongside double up deals, plus there are a vast array of Gin’s behind the bar, so copious they’ve labelled it their ‘Ginventory’.
Poker nights, Quizzes, DJs and decorations that appear for occasions you’d never normally associate with a pub (we visited in Easter and there was bunting everywhere) all adds to this venue’s sense of fun and festivity.
Global lager brands dominate the bar including; Amstel, Peroni, Birra Morretti and Camden Hells plus your typical Guinness tap and 2 cask ales offered. There were 2 keg pale ale options as well, but again these are supermarket available brands of Beavertown and Tiny Rebel show a lack of individuality and disappointingly there’s not a local Sussex brewer in sight.
Food-wise, gone is the Thai menu that resided here for so many years, but The Green Dragon instead offers an assortment of Pies from Pieminister with pie and pint for £10 deals running.
Since it’s refurb and rebrand The Green Dragon Brighton feels nicely bedded in now, and being a centre of town pub with student orientated, big night-out drink deals, you’d expect to find this pub busy and vibrant most nights of the week, just not with beer aficionados.